This application relates generally to electrical control apparatus and, more particularly, to apparatus for controlling the position and movement of a cursor on a cathode ray tube display, such as a hand-held control for use in operating electronic audio-visual apparatus.
One important by-product of the microcomputer revolution has been the creation of numerous electronic audio-visual entertainment devices commonly known as "video games". Such games made their first important commercial impact in video game arcades, where stand-alone cabinets housed all of the computer and visual display elements necessary to allow one to play the game by inserting a coin or token. Typically, each such game involves one or more visual displays on a cathode ray tube which constitute the "boards", or playing fields for the playing of the game. Each such game involves manipulation of an electronic cursor, or character, which appeares on the video screen, by the operation of one or more control devices, or control sticks. Depending upon the game selected, the player-controlled game character may be assigned to shoot down and destroy alien space ships, outwit a pack of attacking monsters as it travels through a maze, rescue a maiden from the clutches of a menacing gorilla, guide a frog safely across a heavily-traveled highway and peril-choked river to safety, or various other "missions" depending upon the ingenuity, imagination and inspiration of the game's creator. All such games have one thing in common: successful manipulation by the player of the video game relies upon use of the game's individual controls.
With the increased popularity and affordability of computers, and the production of more specialized mini-computer game apparatus, it is now possible to play these and other video games at home. Along with the hardware necessary to convert a television receiver into an arcade-like playing field, such home systems typically include a processing unit which accepts discs or cartridges upon which the software for the game involved is embedded, and a control or "joy stick" identical in function to that utilized in the arcade game units.
Such joysticks have heretofore suffered serious shortcomings, inconveniences, and inadequacies when compared to the controls available on full-size arcade video game consoles. Most typically, the joy stick provided with the home video versions of such games is connected to the central unit by a length of wire or cable and essentially comprises a small, lightweight base from which a control lever protrudes. Occasionally, one or more push buttons may also be present on the base.
Such an arrangment suffers from an inherent lack of stability and most often requires the player to use two hands for accurate manipulation because the joy stick is not anchored to any kind of solid base. In addition, some games require a relatively large number of individual controls calling for use of two hands, where all the controls are anchored to a single control panel. Under those conditions, the prior art joy sticks are totally inadequate and it is not possible to conveniently operate the controls for the home version of such a game with one hand while retaining any type of accurate control over the movement of the character on the video screen.
There exists in the prior art such issued U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,331,849, 3,700,836, 3,142,227, and 3,229,059, all of which illustrate manually manipulable control elements. None, however, solve the problems addressed by the present invention. The '849 reference shows a control lever for a toy but does not demonstrate how such a control lever may be successfully used with one hand. The '836 reference shows a hand operated push button control with an attaching wrist strap, a device which does not provide for the type of control flexibility required by the video games herein discussed. The '227 reference illustrates an aircraft-type control handle with numerous control buttons mounted thereon, but without any teaching which would enable such a unit to be modified for use as a computer or video game joy stick. The remaining reference, '059, illustrates a control unit operable by various parts of the body for use by paraplegics in opening or closing an electrical circuit, again, without any teaching directly applicable to the problem addressed by the present invention.
Most typically, motion on the screen of a video game requires direction of movement along the horizontal and vertical axes of the screen, which generally requires the generation and control of at least two electrical signals. Other more specialized functions, such as the speed at which the player-character moves or the capability of the player-character to fire weapons or reverse directions may be controlled by separate push button controls. It is essential to be able to quickly and responsively control the motion and functions of the player-character with a single, hand-held control in order for such games to be enjoyable.
Accordingly, the need exists for a simple, effective and economical video game control which enables the accurate movement and control of a video game character upon the game screen with a single, control device.